The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) expresses deep grief at the passing away of Comrade Nirupam Sen, former member of the Polit Bureau and an outstanding leader of the Party. He died on December 24 after a prolonged illness at the age of 72.
Nirupam Sen began his political life as a student activist and became a prominent leader of the Bengal Provincial Student Federation and later the Students Federation of India. He joined the Party in 1964 and played an active role in various struggles of the peasantry and the working class in Burdwan district. In the early seventies, he had to go underground after false cases were foisted on him.
Sen became a wholetimer of the Party in 1968. He played a key role in expanding the Party in Burdwan district where he served as the secretary of the district committee from 1989 to 1995.
Nirupam Sen was elected to the West Bengal state committee in 1985 and he became a member of the state secretariat in 1995. He was elected to the Central Committee at the 16th Congress in 1998. He became a member of the Polit Bureau in 2008. After his ill health, he became a Special Invitee to the Central Committee between 2015 and 2018.
Comrade Sen was elected to the West Bengal State Assembly thrice. In 2001 he became the Industry and Commerce Minister in the Left Front government for two terms. As a Minister, he played a leading role in mapping out the industrial development of West Bengal and in formulating policies concerning human resources development, rural education, primary health infrastructure and Self Help Groups.
Nirupam Sen was an articulate exponent of Marxism and wrote extensively for Party papers. He was a popular speaker who could effectively put forth the Party’s views on various subjects. In 2013, he suffered a brain hemorrhage and was partially paralysed. Despite this disability, he continue to attend meetings and keep contact with comrades.
Nirupam Sen was a dedicated Marxist who endeared himself to all with his gentle and modest behavior.
In his death, the Party and the Left movement have lost a valuable leader. The Polit Bureau pays respectful tribute to the memory of Nirupam Sen and conveys its heartfelt condolences to his wife Chandrabali, his daughter, son and other members of the family.